Lesson 1: Nationalism in the Middle East

Lesson Focus

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire's collapse reshaped the Middle East. This lesson explores how nations like Turkey and Iran modernized and how competing nationalist ambitions created lasting regional conflicts.

People to Know

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Reza Shah Pahlavi

Learning Objectives

• Understand the causes of the Ottoman Empire's final decline and collapse, including the impact of World War I.
• Analyze how modern Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia were formed and why conflict grew in the Palestine Mandate.

The Ottoman Empire grew weak from internal decay, prompting reformers like the Young Turks to push for a modern legislature.

During World War I, the empire’s alliance with Germany led Britain to support an Arab revolt. The Ottoman government also committed genocide against its Armenian minority, accusing them of disloyalty.

These pressures caused the empire to suffer huge losses and finally collapse after its defeat in October 1918, ending its centuries-long rule.

After the Ottoman collapse and a Greek invasion, nationalist elements united under Colonel Mustafa Kemal.

He drove out the Greeks and established the Republic of Turkey.

As president, Ataturk (“father Turk”) launched sweeping reforms to create a modern, secular state. He abolished the caliphate, introduced a new alphabet, and expanded women's rights.

Growing foreign influence over Persia’s oil fields sparked a nationalist movement. In 1921, army officer Reza Khan led a mutiny, seized control, and later crowned himself Reza Shah Pahlavi.

He began modernizing the government and military, following the example of Ataturk. In 1935, he renamed the country Iran.

Unlike Ataturk, he did not try to destroy the power of Islam, but he still promoted Western education and social customs.

Arab nationalists expected independence after helping Britain defeat the Ottomans in World War I.

Instead, Britain and France divided the region into mandates, creating new countries like Iraq and Syria. This frustrated Arab hopes for a unified nation.

However, in the Arabian Peninsula, a leader named Ibn Sa’ud successfully united Arab tribes. He established the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The discovery of oil in 1938 would soon transform the poor kingdom.

Both Jewish nationalists, known as Zionists, and Arab nationalists claimed the Palestine Mandate as their homeland, creating a major conflict.

To gain support in World War I, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, which supported a Jewish national home there. This promise encouraged Jewish immigration, which surged in the 1930s as Jews fled Nazi Germany.

The result was escalating violence between Arabs and Jews, setting the stage for future conflict in the region.